TESOL for Children Course E-Book

Table of Contents TESOL for Children Course E-Book Submission Guidelines................................................... 2 Assignments........................................................... 3 Getting Creative in the Classroom.......................................... 4 TESOL Age Categories.................................................. 4 Assignments........................................................... 5 Overview of Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Levels................. 6 Assignments........................................................... 8 Learning Styles for Different Intelligence Types............................... 9 Assignments.......................................................... 11 Discipline in the Classroom............................................... 11 Assignments.......................................................... 12 Teaching Approaches................................................... 13 Assignments.......................................................... 23 Lesson Planning....................................................... 24 Class Activities........................................................ 28 Materials............................................................. 34 Teacher Resources on the Net............................................ 38 Assignment.......................................................... 39

Submission Guidelines Assignments are to be submitted and graded according to the following guidelines: Grading Schedule Assignments are graded on the next business day from when they are received. Sunday will be the only day that work will not be graded. Therefore, all assignments submitted on Saturday and Sunday (EST) will be graded and reviewed on Monday. All major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year s Day will be the exception. Grades One half of a point is deducted for misspelled words. Major grammatical errors will result in three deducted points. Any average above 70 is considered a passing grade. Your exact score for this course will not be reflected on the certificate. Resubmission Work may be resubmitted one time. Depth and Scope of Assignments Questions requiring a short response should be typed in paragraph form in 2-4 sentences, and key terms must be identified. Assignments should be about 2-3 paragraphs in length, which consist of about 4-5 sentences each. The final essay should be 1-3 pages. You may paraphrase or directly quote from the text or outside sources as long as you cite the source and page number. English Competency Students must demonstrate fluency in English in their answers. As stated on our website, American TESOL recommends that non-native English speakers have a 550 TOEFL score (220 CBT) or an IELTS score of 6.0 to enable them to successfully complete an online or in-class American TESOL certification. Backup Always use a backup source to save your assignments for protection in case of computer or internet malfunctions. 2

Assignments: Which age group would you like to teach the most and why? Describe the characteristics of your 3 most influential teachers throughout childhood. What are the acronyms for TESOL, SLA, L1 and L2? What is telegraphic speech? Name five different types of gross motor skills not mentioned in the text. Do the same for fine motor skills. Which type of music and movies would you like to introduce to children of other cultures? Why? 3

Name and describe one exercise that can be utilized for learning English involving Science, Math, and Social Studies separately. (The answer should contain three different exercises.) GETTING CREATIVE IN THE CLASSROOM One of the best times to teach someone a new skill, including a new language, is in the early development stages of childhood education. In TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), the second language acquisition (SLA) process functions best in the mind of a child. Rather than teaching a whole new set of rules for grammar, punctuation, structure and speech, young students are often able to learn a new language (second language or L2) as easily as their native tongue (first language or L1). For those students who move to the United States from other parts of the world, there are ESL (English as a Second Language) programs available in public and private schools. Teachers are trained to work with students at many different levels of development. One of the main goals of ESL education is to help students develop confidence in their verbal and written skills. Rather than feeling isolated by a language barrier, students involved in ESL education programs tend to develop a sense of community in a rather short period of time. In recent times, teachers have become rather creative in their ESL lesson plans. Rather than boring students with traditional spelling tests, grammar quizzes and essay writing assignments, teachers are using music, art and even theater to relate lesson plans to students from all over the world. One ESL teacher provides her class with refrigerator magnets featuring English words and lets the students create poetry with them. One of the most popular teaching tools for young ESL students is a list of commonly used words called "Dolch sight words." These words appear in more than 50 percent of the children s books on the market today. Many lesson plans incorporate the use of these words in creative ways. These lesson plans help students learn to recognize popular words by sight develop a rudimentary English vocabulary. TESOL AGE CATEGORIES Early Childhood Development Toddler Children of this age range are mainly using language and refraining from using crying to communicate. Telegraphic speech is emerging at this point. Telegraphic speech is the use of short words and phrases that omit unnecessary modifiers and articles in order to convey general meanings. For 4

example, the child would say cat gone in place of the cat is gone. Age 5 The attention span and memory of this group expands dramatically. Newly increased logical abilities lay the groundwork for classification and discrimination. Learning to Learn is the key. Elementary Age Development Ages 6-9 Children at this age are developing skills. Gross motor skills are movements that involve the body as a whole such as jumping, hopping and running. Fine motor skills are movements that occur between the eye and the hands (particularly the fingers) in such activities as writing, cutting and pasting. Students also develop recognition skills (the basis of mathematical, reading and writing skills) and social skills (for example, the sharing of toys is easier). Also, they will begin to pinpoint objects or reasons behind their distress, and they can easily relay this information to others and begin to cope with feelings of separation and anger. Junior High Age Development Ages 10-13 Children begin to communicate in a clear stream of consciousness. They have a more developed ability to apply coping skills that were learned earlier in life for maintaining self preservation. Also, children at this age can potentially lose interest in their studies and worry more about being liked, so it is important to be free of the word wrong and instead suggest the correct action. Class content should focus on oral, writing and reading skills. High School Age Development Ages 14-17 Math, science and social studies are emphasized at this stage. Teenagers are happy to have contemporary music and movies in the classroom. Also, they begin to deeply appreciate and celebrate cultural differences and acknowledge and communicate accordingly with individuals of other cultures. Teachers can give more verbal based instructions as to what direction they intend the class to explore, but the giving of choices is important. Assignments: Name 10 vocabulary words that you think are appropriate for each of the language development stages. (How would you introduce them to the students for learning?) 5

What is comprehensible input? What is comprehensible output? How are they similar? How are they different? Are children of bilingual households at a disadvantage? Why or why not? OVERVIEW OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND TEACHING LEVELS An understanding of second language acquisition for teachers of English to speakers of other languages can vastly improve students absorption of instrumental points in their classroom. Learning an L2 is not just the adding of rooms to [one s] house by building an extension at the back - it is the rebuilding of all internal walls (Vivian Cook). Thus it is necessary for instructors to be familiar with how those walls are rebuilt, and that is the basis of research from a broad array of fields such as neurolinguistics, anthropology, sociology and psychology. Stages of Language Development The following is a description of the specific stages that a learner goes through in the sequential process of second language development. These stages formulated by current theorists are most often identified as: The Silent or Preproductive Stage During the silent period, the students should never feel forced to speak. The student will understand the meaning of words through gestures and other forms of nonverbal communication. They may even possess the potentiality for understanding up to five hundred vocabulary words, although they may not yet necessarily feel comfortable with communicating them. Total Physical Response is the ideal method for teaching children of this age. The Early Production Stage At this point, students will have the capacity to comprehend up to a thousand words. Much like the telegraphic speech, of toddlers, the learner will start to communicate verbally using simple words, phrases and commands. This stage can last up to six months after the closing of the initial stage. 6

The Speech Emergence Stage Lasting in duration up to nearly twice as long as the Early Production Stage, students can now communicate about three thousand words. The learner is able to answer questions in complete sentences and is no longer intimidated by the second language. It is important for the teacher to relay the correct answer when the child makes a grammatical or usage mistake. For example, when the student says, I go to park, the teacher replies Oh! You want to go to the park! The student gets the correct idea without the embarrassment of an overt correction. Intermediate Fluency This stage encompasses about the same amount of time as the previous one. Fluency is Enhanced, and the learner s mental lexicon doubles. Complicated statements, dialogues and questions are now much easier to grasp. It is important for the students to, on their own, be able to negotiate the means by which they are to express themselves coherently. The Advanced Proficiency Stage Gaining advanced proficiency in a language generally takes about five to seven years. By this stage, second language speakers usually have fluency equal to those of first language speakers. Comprehensible Input and Output Theory Stephen Krashen s Comprehensible Input Theory is a popular idea among numerous second language acquisition theorists. His hypothesis denotes that learners acquire language by intaking and understanding language that is a little beyond their current level of competence (Krashen, 1985 p. 103). For example, a child of the early development stage already understands the statement color your paper. Then by carefully inserting color my paper, the teacher can build off of accumulated knowledge to make the new lesson more comprehensible (Sowers 2000). In other words, students are intaking the emphasis of the new data while enhancing their previous knowledge. The work of Krashen had been broadened by the collaboration between Merrill K. Swain and Sharon Lapkin with the creation of the theory of Comprehensible Output. It differs from Comprehensible Input which is the contextual cut above what the learner has already established. This goes to prove that we can only understand that which is paralinguistically comprehended. On the other hand, research has proven that if teachers provide the students with opportunities to produce comprehensible output, learners can then best achieve their fluency through their modification of their own successes of the target language (Swain and Lapkin 1995). Opportunities for practical analysis of comprehensible output involving the target language can be created by the many connections made by group applications. Popular ways of achieving this are through using chants, song and dialogue. In the case of dialogue, the teacher would begin by first asking yes and no questions, and then eventually move on to questions involving more advanced answers. 7

Bilingualism In the past, researchers have warned against a certain possibility that could occur when working with a group of non-native speakers. There is always the tendency for students, while learning a second language, to illicit words in their own shared native tongue. A recent study by Shehadeh recognizes that group work can be completed successfully without the usage of shared background languages. Three subjects did successfully converse completely in English without resorting to their mother tongue of Arabic. The Two Balloon Theory, also known as the Separate Underlying Proficiency, is the traditional school of thought that says that the original native language and the nonnative language evolve distantly and independently of each other. But new formulations of this data have emerged that say the evidence supports otherwise. Hence, during the addition of bilingual education, students in the early stages of learning need not choose between furthering their first language and acquiring the second. In fact in bilingual households, children gain fluency in both languages by the ages of 3 or 4, even though they are impaired at first to reach the milestones of monolingual children. Jim Cummins, a well-known Canadian linguist, suggests that the concept is now closer to what is commonly called a common underlying proficiency. The Common Underlying Proficiency says that the two languages are stored in the same area of the brain. The languages do not work independently. For example, imagine two icebergs. The icebergs are separate above the surface - that is, two languages are visibly different in outward conversation. Beneath the surface, though, it can be found that they are connected. So the two languages do not function separately. They both share the same central processing unit through which the two languages work. Learning either language can promote the development of the proficiency underlying both languages with the understanding that the basic conditions for learning to take place are present. Students must have motivation and exposure to both languages, either at school or in the home. A basic proficiency of both the mother tongue and the academically accumulated language is known to actually boost the overall performance of school age children. Armed with the newfound knowledge of ESL gathered by linguists, teachers can contrive methods of what is pragmatic for the classroom. Assignments: What intelligence type are you? Describe your intelligence type and tell how it can contribute to being an effective teacher. 8

Describe a classroom activity for each of the intelligence types. Name and describe an intelligence type that was not named and described by Howard Gardner. LEARNING STYLES FOR DIFFERENT INTELLIGENCE TYPES Psychologist Howard Gardner identified seven different types of intelligence. The eighth term, Naturalist, has been added to the list to update it to the 21st century. Although most people are a combination of many distinct intelligence types, the TESOL instructor s familiarizations of such is a great way to contribute to the preferred learning styles and cultural differences in the classroom. These various types of intelligence can assist teachers in finding a deep appreciation for the creativity of the world. Since most English speakers are products of the Western World, such tend to only place value on certain types of intelligence. Since the time of ancient Greek philosophy, society predisposes the most worth to right-brained modes of thinking. For example, most standardized testing is catered to logical mentality. Eight Types of Intelligence Visual/Spatial Learners Are extremely imaginative and creative Understand visual pictures and are experts at reading body language Work best through sketching, drawing and constructing visual diagrams Verbal/Linguistic Learners Are excellent speakers and listeners Understand the meanings behind the various tones and influxes of the human voice Work best through lectures, recordings and discussions. 9

Mathematical/Logical Learners Have elevated abilities for problem solving Understand complex formulations Work best through classifications and scientific thinking Bodily/Kinesthetic Learners Are oriented to physical touch Understand sensory material from hands-on experience Work best through expression of movement Interpersonal Learners Are sociable people persons Understand the workings of group psychology and are often the leaders Work best through corroborating and organizing groups Intrapersonal Learners Are reflective and independent thinkers Understand their own strengths and weaknesses Work best through self-evaluations and individually paced projects Musical/Rhythmic Learners Are highly responsive to auditory stimuli Understand the rhythm and structure of music Work best while listening to music Naturalist Learners Recognize the power of nature Understand biological studies Work best through show and tell and field trips Three Learning Styles Visual Learners seek out pictures, charts, videos, diagrams and handouts. They thrive when they sit in the front of the class so that they can examine the body language of the teacher. 10

Auditory Learners seek out discussions, reading aloud and verbal directions. They benefit from recorded lectures. Tactile-Kinesthetic Learners seek out expressive activities. They greatly benefit from the Total Physical Response method. Assignments: How do discipline methods change and evolve for each age group? What do you think is the most important rule for discipline that is not mentioned in the above text? DISCIPLINE IN THE CLASSROOM Although this word has a negative connotation in the classroom, discipline is essential to being a topnotch teacher. Adequate discipline in childhood, not too much and not too little, is necessary for the child to lead an organized and easier life into adulthood. What would happen if a child grew up not knowing her or his limits? Setting careful limits to what is acceptable in the class will enable children to learn what is expected of them. Discipline means knowing when to say enough. Some basic principles will help teachers effectively discipline students. For example, if a child misbehaves, the teacher must not argue with the child. It is best to simply remove him or her from classmates and have the child sit in a time out chair or read a book in the corner. A misbehaving child is often a frustrated child, so be sure to give him or her lots of choices. Kindness and firmness is the winning combination. To encourage good behavior, teachers must use lots of positive feedback. It is important to give rewards for good behavior, but these should be non-sugar gifts. In addition, if teachers bring other items into the classroom, they must be mindful of what type of items they choose because children by nature are extremely curious and love to touch things. 11

Knowing who the students are is also key to maintaining order in the classroom. Teachers should keep a list of children s names handy at all times. When a notable event comes up, it would be good to write it down so as to have points of discussion for progress reports. Not only is this handy for disruptive behavior, but also it can be used for positive progressions throughout the year. To avoid a monotonous learning environment, teachers should instruct with enthusiasm and a varied tone of voice. In addition, the class should take a spontaneity break periodically. This would give everyone a chance to stand up, stretch, and get a little noisy from time to time. Both teachers and students could both use a break from the norm. Above all, teachers must obey their own rules! Assignments: Name and describe three ways that you can create a safe and shameless learning environment for each of the learning methods. In your own words describe five approaches to TESOL. 12

TEACHING APPROACHES 13

Rassias Method "The understanding of other cultural traditions begins with language. Dartmouth Professor John Rassias high-powered language drills reveal the values of foreign cultures more tellingly than a dozen weight treatises. It would be easier for all of us to continue insisting that the rest of the world learn English. But such complacency has already placed Americans at a serious disadvantage in the international marketplace... We isolate ourselves from a wide range of opportunities - diplomatic, economic, and cultural" (Freedman, 1990). A former Peace Corps volunteer, Professor John Rassias developed over 50 techniques to ensure a natural, non-competitive method of TESOL. This includes a highly motivated atmosphere for learning through capturing students attention and fostering a sense of freely flowing expression from the very first day. Teachers will engage learning by dramatic plays followed by discussions. One case in point would be to demonstrate a storm by a fan blowing over a set-up of a mock neighborhood. The object of this method is to introduce the learner to dynamic usage of the target language in a relatively short amount of time. Teachers are encouraged to always start off the learning period with deep breathing exercises to inhibit nervousness and to create a nurturing environment where students do not fear making mistakes. A good way to do this is by arranging the class in a circle so that everyone feels equal. In fact, the teacher can direct while the students take center stage where they essentially respond to the material within a noncompetitive setting that simulates real-life situations. Repetition by using the Rassias method is a positive method for memorization. Also, attention getting devices are utilized while engaging the learner to recognize the personal 14

aspects of the learned vocabulary. The method includes encouragement of the class to shout out vocabulary words. The classroom dramatic techniques include about fifty theatrical strategies that evoke the class to repeat the words at least sixty times within a fifty-minute time frame. As in the tradition of TPR (Total Physical Response), the methodology is effective for learning because the senses are engaged through physical movements. Each student s progress is monitored daily to ensure that inhibitions are eventually eliminated completely to create confidence building in the classroom. Positive suggestions are used rather than criticism. Total Physical Response Theory is drawn from the work of Dr. James Asher that explains that second languages can be acquired by students in much of the same manner that infants have learned their first language. For example, when parents point out the object food, the child decodes the word s definition subconsciously not only through hearing it, but also through the empirical sensation that goes along with the act of consuming food. Speech emerges naturally when all of the senses are engaged. Total Physical Response works like this: Teachers model the physical response so that students catch on to the explicit meaning of the vocabulary word. The student, in turn, begins to use these words with other students. This is the beginning of a stress-free, high-retention learning situation for young children, teenagers and kinesthetic learners alike. TPR is also useful for abstract vocabulary when flashcards are employed as part of the SLA process. The teacher will ahead of time have the word pasted on the board. The teacher will then call out the word for review. The students are then actively involved in the action of searching and re-cognizing the word which is on the board. Blaine Ray made the contribution of TPRS which is Total Physical Response Storytelling. In TPRS, repetition of key vocabulary and structure are exaggerated through personalized mini-stories. Visuals are great for illustrating concepts, especially key words. The students can even act out the material to help them remember words and meanings. Students can actually visualize a scene that would be too difficult to act out and use gestures and draw vocabulary whenever possible. In the very early stages, inaccuracies in grammar do not matter as much because the focus is on the subject matter. TPR acknowledges that if students are ever having difficulties translating the vocabulary word into English, sometimes the best way is to initially introduce it is through their first language. That way, the rest of the lesson can be understood. Build on where the students are to expand vocabulary. If the girl drinks milk, then where does she drink? When does she drink? How does she drink? Include an activity where the student can piece the story together in chronological order using pictures. Build upon the given story 15

with more details and different perspectives. The more advanced students can answer written questions about the story. Writing enables effective communication, thinking skills and problem solving. 16

Content-Centered Language Learning Content-centered instruction takes Krashen s theory (1982) of second language acquisition one step further. Since Krashen suggests that second language acquisition is successful through the discovery of meaning and usage, then academic subjects can be such a vehicle to language proficiency of the target language. In this approach, the teaching of subjects such as mathematics, social studies, literature and science is used to further language development. Another theorist, J. Cummins studied two types of language proficiency which are basic interpersonal and cognitive academic. His study says that both types of language develop differently since one is socially based and the other is analytically based. Fundamental interpersonal language evolves more quickly (1981). Cummins argues that individuals develop two types of language proficiency: basic interpersonal language skills and cognitive academic language proficiency. He suggests that these two types of proficiency vary according to the degree of context available to the individual and the degree of cognitive challenge of the task. Social language can be acquired in one to two years, but the level of proficiency needed to read social studies texts or solve mathematical word problems can take five to seven years to develop (Collier, 1987). Integrated language and content instruction offers a means by which English as a second language (ESL) students can continue their academic or cognitive development while they are also acquiring academic language proficiency. It also offers a means by which foreign language students can develop fuller proficiency in the foreign language they are studying. In foreign language or two-way bilingual immersion programs, in which a portion of the curriculum is taught through the foreign language, some type of integrated language and content instruction appears to be essential. The following four methods comprise a list of commonly used strategies employed by Content-Centered Learning: Cooperative Learning Students work in groups consisting of multi-level English speakers. Teachers should pair an English-proficient student with another student who may be more challenged. This is called peer tutoring and is excellent for breaking down the barriers of effective communication. Experiential Learning Critical thinking and study skills are emphasized to extend language learning. This type of acquisition demands active participation from students through the performance of tasks rather than merely reading about them. Whole-Language Learning Students learn better from a holistic perspective that involves the entire language. 17

Graphic Organizers Students organize information gathered from written or spoken reports, maps, graphs, diagrams and charts. Reading comprehension skills and oral communication are improved. Lexical Method This philosophy, based on the research of Michael Lewis, holds that learning occurs through the development of words and word combinations. It views language acquisition through a more varied approach than traditional grammar based methods which involve learning perceived patterns of language. Grammatical acquisition has always been looked upon as crucial cornerstone of language excellence. Instead, through lexis, meaning words or phrases, the lexical approach of language can be taught through commonly occurring, fixed expressions from everyday speech. Words, polywords (e.g., turn around), word partnerships (e.g., pleasantly surprised), and idioms (e.g., get the phone) give rise to the basis of language. Instead of emphasis on individual vocabulary words, teachers go through larger groups of words for easier comprehension. Also, for learning prefabricated words and phrases, the lexical approach helps build language fluency because that is mainly the manner in which people speak. Intensive reading and listening will lead to the learner s awareness of the target language. Another component is the teaching of words to students in units that are alike. For example, themes could consist of scientific words, measurement terms and zoo animals, etc. Whole-Language Approach Whole language is a phenomenon that has been difficult to describe, particularly because many of its advocates have somewhat divergent perspectives about the core content of this instructional approach. Several strands run through most iterations of whole language: Steadfast focus on making meaning in reading and expressing meaning in writing Constructivist approaches to knowledge creation, emphasizing students' interpretations of text and free expression of ideas in writing (often through daily journal entries) Emphasis on high-quality and culturally-diverse literature Integrating literacy skills into other areas of the curriculum, especially math, science, and social studies Frequent reading, (a) with students in small "guided reading" groups, (b) to students with "read alouds", and (c) by students independently Focus on motivational aspects of literacy, emphasizing the love of books and level-appropriate student materials Meaning-based phonics, often taught as an "embedded" part of other reading lessons; and Reduced emphasis on other skills, besides phonics, that are usually not linked directly to developing meaning, such as grammar and spelling 18

Communicative Approach 19

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Audiolingual Method 21

Natural Approach Art/Musical Approach This is where the students learn songs. Utilizing both sides of the brain, it is a great key to learning another language. Art is used to draw pictures of new words that students are learning, or to create stories about pictures. Grammar Memorization Speech This is translating the words for the students, and having them repetitively write and speak them. To demonstrate these powerful methods a teacher could have a drill where students would write a word 20 times and the translation 20 times, and speak the word 20 times for 5 days. The drawback with this approach is that it can be repetitive and boring which can cause students to experience frustration due to lack of creativity and motivation. Example: Xin Xin is Mandarin for heart. The two first letters Xi are pronounced like the sh in she in English with the tongue touching the top of the mouth. The n comes from the back of the mouth in a humming manner. Students can write and say this word 20 times. The result is a formation of a new neural pathway, with memorization of a Mandarin word. Vocabulary Approach At the beginning of every class, the teacher would introduce five new words. As time progresses, it is good to set in motion each class with a warm up of the five words from 22

the previous class. These words can then be integrated into other methods. One illustration for teaching such things as directions might be a walk throughout the school. When the teacher makes a left turn, he or she would hold up the vocabulary sign for left and have the students memorize it. Assignments: Create 5 lesson plans for children (using your textbook as a guide). Lesson Plan 1 Lesson Plan 2 Lesson Plan 3 Lesson Plan 4 Lesson Plan 5 Create a template for a lesson plan of your own, using flashcards, art and music. 23

LESSON PLANNING Every lesson should include a warm-up of previously learned material, five new words or phrases for the students to learn, and an overview of the lesson in which the teacher answers any questions. The continuation of lesson topics builds a foundation of the English language for TESOL students to utilize in the real world. Part One: Brainstorming Things to take into consideration are: Theme of the Lesson What is the basis or intention of themes to be covered? Proficiency Level What level are the students practicing on? If they are all on different levels, then finding a common ground for advancement in learning on all levels will be necessary. Skill Objectives What skills should be focused on? These include the basics of what people unknowingly do each day, thus sharpening communicative skills. Methodology Which one of the methods is necessary? These may or may not include any/or all of the following: Direct-Based Approach/Communicative, Grammar/Memorization Speech, Vocabulary, Rassias or Musical/Art. Key Objects for Learning How do teachers get key ideas across to their students? They may use any props, visual aids or learning materials that may be needed. Part Two: Class-Time Action Warm-up Exercises: (5 minutes) The purpose of this introduction is to get students minds on the subject of English. Making this transition will help make in-class activities run more smoothly and efficiently. These can be direct or indirect questions asked to the class as a whole, while emphasizing the newly learned vocabulary in conversation. Introduction to Teaching Objectives: (2-3 minutes) Here the students will get to know the activities and expectations of the day. This is the best time to introduce attention-getters such as short games. Teaching/In-Class Assignments: (Bulk of class time) Teachers will carry out the skills needed for the students to achieve their learning goals using the key objects for learning. Students can practice and integrate the newly learned skills while the teacher can evaluate the level of mastery for further pursuit of educational goals. The former is the teacher-oriented portion of class, and the latter would be the student-oriented portion of the learning period. 24

Review/Out-of-Class Assignments: (10 minutes) The content of the day is relearned and discussed, possibly with an introduction of the next lesson and how it relates to make up a cohesive unit with earlier instruction. Now is the time to introduce the expected skills of the assignment to be due on the continuation of the class. Lastly, previously dated assignments are returned and can be corrected before or during class. There is always the good old-fashioned way of mixing up the papers in class. Then the teacher can give out the correct answers to the class and the final giving back of the papers to the original owners. This is just one of the many powerful methods to boost the self-confidence of any newcomers to a language though dispelling fears. Part Three: Putting It All Together It is handy here for a notebook to be kept regarding how long certain lessons last. An instructor may run out of time or need more time-fillers by making the work a little more challenging. There are other things that may need improvement. Also, some students may need to be singled out for extraordinary or deficient work. These notes can be compiled when the teacher is asked to make a list of suggestions or a progress report for each of the students. Waiting until the last minute does not work in these situations. Tips for Successful Lesson Planning and Class Time Do... Be as visual as possible and incorporate art into the class. For example, if the instructor introduces an airplane, the class should make paper airplanes. Be aware of expecting too much within a small frame of time. Learning takes time. Always have a back-up plan. It is important to have more activities in mind just in case students go through the material quickly (although sometimes the most successful strategies may be the ones that are made up on the spot ). These work especially when teaching children who are naturally spontaneous. Don t... Never be afraid to laugh with the students. Due to cross-cultural differences, this can often happen during miscommunication. This connects both teachers and students on a strong interpersonal level that can be instrumental in fostering learning environments where ideas and suggestions can be freely expressed. Do not directly criticize; this can really be a confidence killer to the new student. Instead, politely suggest the correct way of saying or doing something. For example, suppose a student says I have to got the toilet. Instead of embarrassing him and telling him or her that this is improper, the teacher should respond this way: Oh, you have to go to the bathroom. This clearly gives the student the idea of the correct thing to say without intimidation. 25

Teachers must speak clearly and attempt to pronounce vocabulary words free of one s own dialect. They should also not be afraid to learn the native languages of the receptive teaching country or environment. Their students may be their best teachers, and this is a strong connective and communicative skill that will enable them to relate to their students on a more personal level. Many schools are actually required to give free or reduced lessons to their teachers. Sample Lesson Plans Teaching English to Kindergarten Students Warm up: Circle time is where we gather in the morning and discuss the weather and any other relevant events. We would review simple points such as our numbers and colors. Introduction to Teaching Objectives: Here is where we would introduce the newest color sheet that goes with the story that we will be reading today which happens to be Where the Wild Things Are. Teaching/In-Class Assignments: We will spend most of our class time reading the story. As I go through the pages I will personalize the story by substituting the names of characters with the names of children in the class. Then to make sure that they understand the main points, I will continually ask questions. The children will then complete a worksheet reinforcing the skills that they have just learned. Review/Out of Class Assignments: In this case, the children are really too young for homework, so we would do a quick review/wrap-up by getting the students to recall and describe their favorite character. Teaching English to Elementary School Students Warm up: Teacher will start talking about some of the different colors flowers can be. Introduction to Teaching Objectives: Teacher will present colored construction paper and books with pictures of various flowers in them. Teaching/In-Class Assignments: Children will be asked to name the different flowers that they know and to tell what colors those flowers can be. Teacher can point out that flowers can come in many different colors. A rose, for example, could be red, pink, or white. On a chart or on the board, teacher will record the names of flowers and the colors they can be. Children will be told that they are going to make a paper, flower garden on the bulletin board. The goal will be to include as many different colors of flowers as they can. Books with pictures of flowers will be distributed among the children, and children will search through the books to find different colored flowers. 26

Review/Out of Class Assignments: Teacher will review with children the different colors of flowers discussed during the class. Children will be encouraged to continue to search for flowers. Teaching English to Junior High Students Warm up: Teacher will start with a discussion about food and eating. Students will be asked to describe a visit to one of their favorite restaurants and think about the different kinds of food that each one of them likes. Teacher will introduce some of the vocabulary related to food, such as: fish, vegetables of cooking, meat and fruit, and utensils. Introduction to Teaching Objectives: Students will use their worksheet to write down the different categories of food and things related to food. Teacher will discuss the important aspects of recipes. Students will think about the ingredients, preparation, and measurement issues. Teaching/In-Class Assignments: A comparison of the students notes on the vocabulary generated will be made. Students will be asked to break up into small groups and develop a recipe. Then they would gather together and discuss their work before presenting it to the class. Review/Out of Class Assignments: Each group will be asked to present their recipe to the rest of the class. A quick review will be made about the topic discussed (food) and the differences between the various recipes which students present during the lesson. All vocabularies generated by the students will be relearned and reviewed. Teaching English to High School Students Warm up: Telling a true story about an experience that has happened to anyone of us is interesting. Teacher will start telling a true story following a structured outline. Introduction: Introducing the nature of the story, beginning -- how the story started, the story -- the main events related in order, the end -- what has changed or how things are now, moral-- final comments or moral conclusions about the story. Introduction to teaching objectives: Learning the basic structure and expressions used when telling true stories. Teaching/In-Class Assignments: Teacher will follow up her story with some basic comprehension questions. Students will be asked to put the reading comprehension into the correct order. Students will underline key vocabulary words that introduce and relate the sequence of events. Then they will be asked to review the storytelling structure, and teacher will point out how her story and the 27

reading comprehension follow the structured layout. Students can write their own stories and get into pairs and read each other the story and relate to another partner. Review/Out of Class Assignments: Teacher will review with the students the importance of giving structure to their relating of true stories. For homework, students will be asked to plan and write another true story of about 100 words. CLASS ACTIVITIES Dialog There are two main purposes for teaching the dialog. First, it will provide the student with a bit of language that will help him perform in a particular setting (writing a check, buying a stamp, etc.). The more specific one can be in adapting the dialog to the students immediate circumstances, the more meaningful the dialog will be, and the more likely it will be that the students will learn and use it. The second purpose of the dialog is to introduce certain high-frequency patterns of the language which will be practiced further in dialog expansion activities. NOTE: If the students do not have text materials where they can see the written dialog, the teacher can write it on the chalkboard. It is usually helpful to adults to be able to see the written form. If the teacher notices certain sounds being pronounced incorrectly because of the students native language pronunciation, he may want to focus their attention on the letters and their correct pronunciation. Preparation Step 1: Think about the kind of situation the students will enact. Be as specific as possible. For this dialog imagine students introducing a friend during a break. The students may pretend they are introducing a fellow classmate to another friend. Step 2: Break the dialog into pairs of lines or exchanges (cycles) and personalize it, i.e. change its characters to members of the class. A dialog could be broken down as follows: a. Roberto: Hello, my name s (TEACHER S NAME). Sara: (I m) glad to meet you. b. Sara: This is my friend, (STUDENT S NAME). Roberto: (I m) pleased to meet you. c. Roberto: Where are you from? Lily: (I m from) Thailand. Step 3: Write the dialog on a 3" x 5" card. 28

It is necessary for the teacher to be able to walk around and listen to and interact with each student. Having to carry a textbook around can reduce mobility. After a few lessons, leave the book on the desk and refer to it periodically so as not to have to make cards. Teaching: Step 1: Explain to the students using pictures, gestures, their native language, or whatever means necessary the context and purpose of the dialog. In the case of the previous dialog, the purpose is to enable them to introduce themselves and others, and to tell where they are from. Step 2: Enact the first line of the dialog by saying it and have students listen. Hello my name s (TEACHER S NAME). (Repeat several times.) Step 3: Have students repeat in chorus after teacher until their pronunciation is fairly accurate. Hello, my name s. Hello, my name s. Step 4: Have students repeat individually personalizing the line. Hello, my name is (STUDENT S NAME). Step 5: Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the next line of the dialog. T: I m glad to meet you. (Students listen.) T: I m glad to meet you. S: I m glad to meet you. (Students repeat.) Step 6: Teacher says line one and students respond with line two, first in chorus and then alone. T: Hello, my name s (TEACHER S NAME). S: I m glad to meet you. My name s (STUDENT S NAME). Step 7: Have students pair off and take turns introducing themselves while the teacher circulates, listens and helps. Student 1: Hello, my name s. Student 2: Glad to meet you. My name s. Step 8: Repeat steps 2 thru 7 with the next two lines of the dialog. Step 9: Have students enact the first four lines of the dialog. Break students into groups of three, and have them enact the dialog. Student 1: Hello, my name s. Student 2: I m glad to meet you. My name is. Student 1: This is my friend. Student 3: Pleased to meet you. 29

Step 10: Repeat steps 2 thru 7 with the next two lines of the dialog. Step 11: Repeat step 9 with all of the lines of the dialog. Sample Dialog Robert: Hello, my name s Roberto. Lily: I m glad to meet you. My name s Lily. This is my neighbor, Sara. Robert: I m glad to meet you, Sara. Where are you from? Sara: I m from Mexico. Practice 6: Dictation A. Hello my Robert. B. Glad to meet. name s Sara. C. This is my, Lily. D. Pleased to you, Lily. Where are you? E. I m from Thailand. Practice 7: Role Play A., this is. B. Glad to meet you. Where are you from? A. I m from. Cultural Note: For a dialog such as this, teachers should indicate ways of greeting. For example, in the United States people do not always shake hands when introduced. Men usually do when introduced to other men. When introduced to a woman, a man usually waits for the woman to offer her hand. Women frequently do not shake hands when introduced to either men or women. Generally when men shake hands with each other they offer a firm grip. Circle Time Circle time is a chance to gather together as a class. It can be a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other. Older students will appreciate a time when they can all unite, have social contact and discuss current events and topics. Teenagers love to be treated as adults as they have made great progressions toward independent thinking. The teacher can make circle time age appropriate. In this case, the title can be renamed to morning meeting and checking in time. Younger children will like to sing songs, play games and read stories during circle time. Remember to keep activities to a minimal amount of time before moving on because their attention span is only 10-15 minutes in length. Circle time is ideal for the beginning of class as well as for the ending. If planned activities should finish more quickly than expected, it is an ideal filler time. 30

Make sure that children do not feel pressured into participating vocally. Being active for some intelligence types, intrapersonal and visual, means being good listeners and excellent observers. Whatever the occasion, an ample routine of group time is both rewarding and pleasurable. Transitions are an additional type of time filler, although a little more informal than circle time. Use transitions to bridge gaps in time when one activity should shift into another. It is even effective for moving the class in a fun and orderly manner. From crawling like a crab into the middle of the class to being a thinking wizard, there are limitless ways to create transitions that are both fun and engaging. Sample Circle Time Activities 1. Use at a closing of an activity as a cue for students to return to their desks. Sang in the manner of Frere Jacques, one by one the students fly back to their desks after their name is called by the teacher. (Teacher) Where is? (Insert name of student) Where is? (Same name) (Student) Here I am! Here I am! (Class) How are you today,? (Student) Very well, I thank you! (Class) Fly away, fly away! 2. Before asking the class a really challenging question, ask them to put on their thinking caps. Also, before administering a test or quiz, say it s thinking wizard time. Sight Words Edward Dolch compiled a list of 220 of the most frequently used English words. These words are primarily used for pre reading skills. Once the student learns them, they will have learned 50 to 75% of the words contained in English reading material. The following is a sampler of those words: Pre-Primer: a, and, away, big, blue, can, come, down, find, for, funny, go, help, I, there, make, my, not, me, one, play, run, said, three, up, we, yellow Primer: all, am, are, at, black, came, did, eat, four, get, have, into, like, must, new, on, please, ran, saw, that, under, want, yes Level 1: after, again, an, by, could, every, fly, give, going, had, just, know, let, may, of, put, round, some, take, walk Level 2: always, because, call, does, fast, gave, it s, made, off, pull, read, sight, tell, upon, wash, your Level 3: about, better, carry, done, eight, fall, far, got, hold, if, keep, kind, 31

laugh, much, never, only, pick, seven, ten Suggested activities for Dolch Sight Words: Make puzzles with DSW Make mini-books with DSW Read stories with DSW Hold a spelling bee with DSW Science Projects Teachers can perform fun and exciting science experiments in class for students to appreciate science. Here are a few projects for amateur scientists: Oil and Water Start with this experiment to teach basic scientific principles. Take a glass jar of water. Ask this kids what they think will happen when you add oil to the mixture, Add the oil and see the wonderment in the children s faces. Baking Soda and Vinegar Eruptions This exercise teaches children about the fundamentals of chemical activity. Ask them if they know what will happen. Combine the two and watch the bubbling over begin. Explain that the vinegar and baking soda react to create carbon dioxide. Role-Playing The Big Chair One of the greatest games for confidence building, this game enables students to build self-assurance by speaking in front of the class. A big chair or adult chair is used for a student to sit on while he or she is either interviewed by the teacher, reads a story or tells the class anything on his or her mind. Drop Everything and Read Drop Everything And Read time, better known as D. E. A. R. time, is a time regularly set aside in the classroom schedule for both students and their teachers to "drop everything and read. This time, students may be independent as they will choose among a variety of books that suit their interests. Each student is welcomed to bring a pre-selected book from home. D. E. A. R. adds extra reading time to regularly scheduled languages arts programs. D. E. A. R. time should be a top priority in the daily or weekly classroom schedule. D. E. A. R. time should encompass about ten minutes a day for younger students or two fifteen- or twenty-minute periods of class each week for older students. 32

Debate Teams Aim: Improve conversational skills when supporting a point of view Activity: Debate concerning the current events Level: Upper-intermediate to advanced Outline: Review language used when expressing opinions, disagreeing, making comments on other person's point of view, etc. Ask students to consider statements Divide class into two groups. Give students worksheets to record data. Once students have prepared their opening arguments, begin with the debate. Each team has 5 minutes to present their principal ideas. Have students prepare notes and make rebuttal to the expressed opinions. While the debate is in progress, take notes on common errors made by the students. At the end of debate, class should revolve around correcting mistakes. Games Treasure Hunt Age Level: Younger to Older Children What you will need: Pieces of paper for clues Hidden prizes Children should be grouped in pairs to begin. The teacher should hide a paper trail of clues. Have the class start off with puzzles and find points on a map. They will hunt for more clues until finally one team gets to find the treasure! Field Trip to the Store Age Levels: Elementary to Junior High 33

What you will need: Small amount of money for each child Permission slips Have the parents send the children with a small amount of money to school. The parents will also have sent a signed permission slip for their child to leave campus beforehand. The store will all permit the children to buy one simple item. Make arrangements with the store management ahead of time for best results. This activity helps kids learn the value of money as well as mathematical skills. You End the Story Age Level: Elementary What you will need: Favorite storybook Markers and pencils Paper This exercise will broaden creative and comprehension skills as well as vocabulary. Read aloud a favorite story in class. Now, there is just one catch -- the students get to rewrite the ending! Do the characters go to a big party? Does the prince keep waiting? Does the bird find his home? The children can continue the story until the ending is ideal. Have them write and/or illustrate a scene from their original variation. For even more of a challenge, the children can each write and/or draw what they think happened in the story shortly before the opening of the book. MATERIALS Songs Ironic An old man turned ninety-eight He won the lottery and died the next day It s a black fly in your Chardonnay It s a death row pardon two minutes too late And isn t it ironic...dontcha think It s like rain on your wedding day It s a free ride when you ve already paid It s the good advice that you just didn t take Who would ve thought...it figures Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye He waited his whole damn life to take that flight 34

And as the plane crashed down he thought "Well isn t this nice..." And isn t it ironic...dontcha think It s like rain on your wedding day It s a free ride when you ve already paid It s the good advice that you just didn t take Who would ve thought...it figures Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you When you think everything s okay and everything s going right And life has a funny way of helping you out when You think everything s gone wrong and everything blows up In your face A traffic jam when you re already late A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break It s like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife It s meeting the man of my dreams And then meeting his beautiful wife And isn t it ironic...dontcha think A little too ironic...and yeah I really do think... It s like rain on your wedding day It s a free ride when you ve already paid It s the good advice that you just didn t take Who would ve thought...it figures Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out Helping you out The Ants Go Marching The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching one by one, The little one stops to suck his thumb And they all go marching down to the ground To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching two by two, The little one stops to tie his shoe And they all go marching down to the ground To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching three by three, The little one stops to climb a tree And they all go marching down to the ground To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! 35

The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching four by four, The little one stops to shut the door And they all go marching down to the ground To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching five by five, The little one stops to take a dive And they all go marching down to the ground To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching six by six, The little one stops to pick up sticks And they all go marching down to the ground To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching seven by seven, The little one stops to pray to heaven And they all go marching down to the ground To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching eight by eight, The little one stops to shut the gate And they all go marching down to the ground To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching nine by nine, The little one stops to check the time And they all go marching down to the ground To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah The ants go marching ten by ten, The little one stops to say "THE END" And they all go marching down to the ground To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Pinata (Paper Mache) Age Level: Younger Students 36

What You Will Need: Strips of Newspaper Bowls of One Part Water and One Part Flour Prizes Balloons Pinatas are a Mexican children s tradition. Half the fun is making them! Blow up balloons and then have the children stick the prizes inside of them. Wet paper in mixture, then shape newspaper into the image of whatever image is chosen. Have it dry for a day or two. Then blindfold a child and have them hit it with a stick. The prizes will eventually pour out for the children to gather. Graphs Age Level: All Ages What You Will Need: Paper Pen or pencils For a simple survey, ask a yes or no question and have the class tally the results. The survey could be about whether or not the individuals like apples. Label one column Yes and the other No. Then have them draw a picture of the apple. Graph the result area for the students on the board together as a class if they cannot do so themselves. For a more advanced group, the survey questions can be more challenging than a two-choice question. What is your favorite movie? What is your favorite food? The results can thereafter be drafted in a more mathematical method. You will find that this exercise is a great way for demonstrating Content-Centered Instruction. Picture Matches Age Level: Elementary to Junior High Ages What You Will Need: Old magazines Scissors Construction paper Glue Write out a series of vocabulary words on the board. Have the children flip through the magazine when they recognize that it matches one of the words. This activity develops critical thinking, language and classification skills. You can have the student pick out their favorite picture and then redraw it. 37

Body Outlines Age Level: Elementary to High School Ages What You Will Need: Large piece of paper for child to lay upon Pencils, markers or crayons Have the class group into pairs. One child will lie down on the sheet of paper as the other child traces the body. Then, as a class, have fun labeling and coloring the body parts. The activity can be specialized to the age group. Simply match the level of the child s vocabulary to the anatomy names that are inquired. Classroom Embellishment Let interesting artwork give your classroom a positive glow. Great decorations do not have to cost a fortune. Often, the crafts are right in the nearest closet. One can make an ornamental scene just using paint, paper, yarn and a few cotton balls. Finish off with a few googly eyes. The first step is to paint a picture of rolling hills and a big sky. In the background, construct a few houses out of colored paper. In the foreground, build a fence line made of yarn. Now, add the sheep as the points of visual interest. They are made from cotton balls that are rolled into even smaller balls and glued onto a paper-made body. Use creative genius! Even a simple paper plate could turn into a flower decoration. Seek out web sites and books on origami for additional ideas. TEACHER RESOURCES ON THE NET www.ghostforest.com www.dltk-teach.com www.atozteacherstuff.com www.kidzone.ws www.earlychildhood.com www.pbs.org/teachersource/ www.benjerry.com/fun_stuff/ www.coloring.ws/ www.first-school.ws/ www.kidsrcrafty.com www.quizhub.com www.1000dictionaries.com 38

www.eslpages.com/ http://teachers.teach-nology.com/index.html www.spartechsoftware.com/reeko/ www.groups.yahoo.com/group/tprsenglish/join Final Essay Final Essay using a topic from your hard copy text which is 300-400 words in length. Copyright American TESOL Institute, 2010 39